Means for locating leaks in well tubing



FIDM

Filed Sept. l26, 1928 s. W J., 1M MWA W, fA

a. V a 7.9 6 s .5 l5@ /VVA/IAV M M, l/ d l :fi Hua .W ...Mw A a m s l AY This invention relates to improvements in means for locating leaks inwell tubingiand themain object ofthe-invention issto provide a1le'akf'indicator which'. will notbeliable to u I 5 5 ejection or displacementby accumulation A,of

gasor. uid pressurelbelow the same.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, Fig. 1 being avertical section ot' thennproved leak locating means and 4the 1Qadjacent'portionof a well tubing, and Fig.

2f being a section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

' My improved leak locating means comprises a body member 1 which isadapted to nor- -mally operate as a plug in the Well tubing,

d-lfgl5 said member 1 having packing means 3 and t at the upper andlower portions thereof,

adapted to makel a gas tight joint with the walls of the well tubing,indicated at 5 `in Fig. 1. Said packing means may comprise 9 packingcups or rings 6 of leather or other suitable yielding material, each cupbeing clamped on member 1 between collar 7 and nut 8, and preferablyhaving its free edge la reentorced and drawn in by Wire lacing, as-v25windicated at 9: The packing means' being flexible and cup shapedwith their open ends V; directed upwardly in the case of the upperpacking means and downwardly in the case of the lower packing means, sothat pressure 0 ot liquid in the well tubing, exerted downf wardly inthe upper packing means andupwardly in the lower packing means, tends to"expand the cups into tight engagement with thewell tubing.

In normal o eratiomnmthe member 1, when Y .-/.dropped into a we Ygravity, aided by the weight of a column ot liquid supplied to thetubing above the in tubing, descends by strument, whi-ch'operates as aplug or clo- 9 sure means in the tubing in such manner that iii-siren;rats l ,PAUL rt.y enen-reunion Los oiimronnin, y

essenssiseks-s rfEfsf'fssINGf-g l 'ApplicationledSeptember-ZG, 1928."Serial 1\lo.`3 0S,495.-;

wise, and the position ofthe leak thus ascertained,.witlioutwithdrawingthe .tubing from the well. lt has been foundthanlusing the leak:indicator in. this Lmanner, -conditions sometimes arise inwhichaccumulation ofgas pressure in the well forces the instrumentupwardly and causes sudden ejectionof the same fromithetubing orwupwarddisplacement ot' the indicator from positionopposite theopen-i ing. To'avoid such undesirable result Iv providel the-member 1,'or exampleatits..z upper. end, with slips "10 slidingv iii-inclinedguide.- ways'llin member :lfand providedon their outer :faces with: gripping 4teeth onserrations 12, adapted to 'engage'the wall of the well tubing in suchAmanner-ns topeimit the member 1-;to slide' freely =downthe well .tubingbut toi'pre'vent any upwardm'ovement vof member; l inA the well tubing.`'Ilhe indicatormeme. Y

ber 1`.will,'therefore, remain iii--positi'oii-'oncel it'rhasireachedfthellowermost leak.A A nut 13 .onfmember 1-` retainsthe slpson:said4 member s Incasebt ac um lation gas atlliiglifpressure whenrthetube`--sectionA containing the instrument Ais withdrawn .andf

.high i -sureiben'eath the'instrument above decribed,

uncoupled. For this purposelgmayprovide.- A. A the member 1 with alongitudinal boreorp'as-f- 1 sage 14, extendinggthrough the: said membervalve 15"which`isnormally held' closed by-a spring V16, exertingA apressure osay 25 or static pressure mayber made to substantial.-`

it continue v s endnasalungwaiibraiw. f YL mf-gcvjgmttng escape of Huid,'"ly balance the gas pressure below the instru u 1s arres e when-theleak, or the lowest of a number of leak's, is passed by the lower iraf-f5 packing means 4, it being understood that y the bottom of thetubing has previously been closed or plugged in any suitable manner, so

rthat Huid cannot escape therethrough. The

`'depth of the inicator ember 1 nis deteigh t Q mine v nesrino p pmb-vinefgr ot ierinent, but as the tubing is withdrawn and un-4v reached,the excess of gas presslire below the instrument is wholly relieved, andthat section can be uncoupled without danger of violent escape or bloweff of gas.

In regard to operation of relief valve, it may be stated that during thetime of the descent of the indicator and. until same has reached thelowermost leak this,A valve d's not open and interfere with thesuccessful operation of the indicator for the following reasons: First,the spring that holds the ball" y on its seat has a greater tension4thanj the fweight of the instrument. Second, that'tl'i"` pressure aboveis always increasing` due to the rapidity with which it is entering thepipe: Therefore, the resulting pressure below; the indicator cannot; atfany vtime more' thaniequal the pressurezabove until said indi"-cator-has reachedthe lowermost leak'. aiidth operation off removing the.pipe has .beerr commencedg.:Vv n; c -;A a i While Ilia've shown the'passage 14T as exs tending to the? top and bottom of member-11 itwill beunderstood that' itis sufcientgfor the purpose ofzthis. invention,that'the pas! sage shall communicate with the space aroundr member landwithin the well tubef at any point above the upper packing means and atan-y point below.the 1lower packing-Vmeans.- v -lThere'is aicooperative-relation between the' slip devices for preventing upwardmovementv ofI the` instrument andthe reliefval've-ar-'f4 Y ranged in thelongitudinal passage. i Without l f3 thefslip devices the relief valvewiouldfnoti serve its intended' purposeiwhenbucking oci curs in the welltubing;V The slipdevices'peJ vent upward movement vof theiinstrument s'di that the relief valve can perform its function: of Vpermittingiiuid'to pass therethroughfand f tliefwell tubing fronidisplacing theinstru- *I ment whenV in: indicating osition at afleak .'girr thetubing. J This com vinationy .serwesrar newfandfusefulf result gAi'zfe., enablin'gfthe inistrument'to''friivea true indication oftliep'o-,siticnl of theileak:Y i If'claim'z f' fn, An instrument adaptedtolfallibygrav '-c. ty in a well tubeffor locating-leaksinthe-wellVtube, comprising a` body-.member provided- ,Y with-upper cup shapedpackingmeans adapte, v

f edtoexpandunder pressurevfrom above and prevent' any surging orbucking condition-.nr

inclined guideways on which said slip devices slide.

3. An instrument adapted to fall by gravi# ty in a well tubing forlocating leaks in the Well tubing, comprising a body member providedwith upper cup-shaped packing means adapted to expand under pressurefrom above and lower cup-sha'ped'packing means adapted to expand underpressure from below to act as closure means for the well tubing, saidbody member` Having ai longitudinal passage, and withlan upwardlvopeningvalve in saidv passagepr'vided wiiiimeans for normally holding it ,inclosed.NV position, and means mpuntd on said body member to grip thewalls of the s tubing to'prevent `upward -miementofftli'e dev'icaf rfiInl testimony whereofl have' hefgre-u'n'tosub-,- scribed my name this18tl'day" ofS'epterirbr'f 1928; 1; fz `7 lower cup shaped packing meansadapted tq i expand under pressure fromr below,` so as to actasclosureimeansvfor the well tube, and slip devices. niovably mounted onsaid Vmein"- ber adapted to engage the walls of the tubing f toautomatically move'said slip device'tcpoi sition toA grip the tubing'andprevent'upw rd movement ofthe instrument in theftub'` '.5 body memberhaving a longitudinally passage andr 'anl 'upwardly 'l ribvable b'viil'ff'e therein/M instrument a'si'set forthn'fclaimVli ini whichsaid-body' memberr'is provided' withn

